How It Should Have Ended
by aversive5599
Summary: A different last episode to the Naruto Shipudden Anime in which Sasuke comes back. Featuring Team 7 and Sasusaku. (Implied Naruhina.)


**Description:Featuring Team Seven right before the wedding (because I'm salty that Sasuke and Sakura were quite literally thrown to the curb)**

 **Features:SasuSaku and TEAM 7**

 **SORRY THE GRAMMAR IS A LITTLE ROUGH, I'LL CORRECT IT SOON**

Sakura couldn't believe that Naruto was getting married.

She knew that almost everybody was going through this surreal experience of being at "Naruto's Wedding" but all of them like her knew that he deserved every ounce of happiness the world offered him.

And this was just the beginning.

Iruka Sensei may have rightfully taken the role of Naruto's father but Sakura had the role of his sister, best friend and confidant, which naturally meant that she was assigned on keeping Naruto calm duty A.K.A making sure the most unpredictable and hyperactive ninja of Konoha actually made it to the altar.

This was her first S-Rank mission.

"What if she realises that she doesn't like me Sakura-chan?" Naruto was nervously mumbling and pacing around,"She might change her mind when she sees me, I got a glimpse of her in the morning and she looked so pretty _dattebayo_."

Sakura wanted to hit him but she reminded herself that he was the groom and that wouldn't bode well for the luck of his married life.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined,"What should I do?"

 _Well, she could always just heal him afterwards nobody would know maybe then-_

"I wish the bastard was here."

Naruto's words are abrupt and out of the blue and Sakura's head snapped up looking at his rueful expression. Something twists in her heart, maybe it's the fact that Naruto had said the words she'd wanted to say all along.

She softly smiles,"I wish he was here too."

"It's just-" Naruto breaks off running his hands through his hair,"I-I-"

He was having a hard time saying it out loud but Sakura understood her best friend's feelings. She remembered the hope that had reflected in his blue eyes when he'd sent Sasuke the invitation and the disappointment when he'd read Sasuke's reply in which the latter had politely apologised for being unable to attend.

Something in Sakura's heart had sunk too. After all she'd always believed that Naruto had a way of reaching Sasuke that nobody could compete with and if he'd failed to bring him back what hope could she possibly have?

"I really thought Shikamaru's idea would work." Naruto groaned,"I sent the letter saying that you got a new boyfriend. I even specifically mentioned how he was spotted coming out of your apartment.I can't believe the bastard hasn't come rushing back."

Sakura froze. Naruto was still mumbling on ignorant of the killing intent that was rolling off Sakura in waves.

"You did _what_?" Sakura's voice was dangerously shrill and Naruto winced realising what he'd just disclosed.

He quickly backed up against the wall putting as much space between him and the pink haired kunoichi as possible.

"He probably didn't even buy it." Naruto said quickly,"I mean it is you after all, you falling in love with anybody but him is-"

He breaks off realising that he said the wrong thing.

 _Hinata I love you_ , Naruto thought, _Ichiraku's ramen I'm sorry I couldn't have you one last time._

"You and Hinata are soulmates." Sakura said slowly advancing,"Even if you die in this life I'm sure you'll meet her in the next."

Naruto put his hands forward,"Sakura-chan I said I'm sorr-"

And then he suddenly stopped. It was the pure shock on Naruto's face that made Sakura pause too.

And then against all hope she turned around.

The raven haired man that stood at the door was leaning against the frame his sole black eye looking at the scene in front of him with a quiet sort of interest, his face giving away nothing that he's thinking.

He seemed out of place in the bright light of the room, shadows surrounding his dark travel cloak, clearly he'd not dressed up for the wedding and if his blank look was an indication he didn't seem like he was too happy to be here, surrounded by all this pomp and joy.

But Sakura knew him well. The blank look was a careful mask on his part to hide how unsure he was. It was a look that asked, _Should I to be here_?

And then with the slightest inclination of his head the man turned to meet Sakura's gaze.

For that second Sakura's heart stopped.

But that didn't last long as Naruto shoved past her launching himself at the man in an attempt to envelope the latter in big a hug with a loud, "SASUKE!"

Sasuke on his part gracefully dodged, sending Naruto sprawling to the floor.

In that moment with Naruto too busy trying to pick himself off the floor Sasuke's eyes found hers again.

Although his expression didn't change much Sakura could tell what the slight tilt of his lips meant. His gaze is soft as he stares at pink haired kunoichi in front of him.

If anyone else had seen the look that Sasuke had worn at that moment they'd have missed what he was quietly expressing. But Sakura, the Sakura who'd loved this man through everything, even through his darkest hours understood what he was saying.

 _I'm home Sakura. I came back._

So she smiled widely her feet carrying her forward towards him. She stopped in front of him and stood on her tip-toes as she wrapped her arms around him pulling him into a gentle hug.

"Welcome home Sasuke-Kun." She whispered softly.

Perhaps he would have hugged her back, perhaps he would have muttered a soft thank you but Sasuke never got to do any of those things as Naruto launched himself at the both of them enveloping them into a big group hug.

Although Sakura was in the uncomfortable position of being sandwiched between Naruto and Sasuke in a way she could barely breathe, tears couldn't help but spring to her eyes when she laughed, realising that this, _this_ moment right then was what she'd been fighting for since the day Sasuke left the village and now…. And now he'd _truly_ come back to them.

"Aww Sakura-chan don't cry." Naruto said sniffling as broke away from the hug.

"I agree Ugly." Sai's voice makes them look up,"You look even uglier when you cry."

On a normal day this would end with Sai getting punched but once Sakura got a glance Kakashi who was standing behind Sai she started crying even harder.

"I saw weirdo siting on a bench near the town gate and it seemed like he was waiting for someone so I simply guided him here."Sai said.

As if on queue Sakura started crying _even_ harder.

While everybody else failed to notice it, Kakashi hadn't missed the slight hint of embarrassment that had crossed the last Uchiha's face.

Although Kakashi supposed there would be another Uchiha soon enough.

"Tch Tch, I see you're as hopeless as ever dobe." Sasuke said his voice smug as he looked at Naruto who had epically tripped over his wedding robe in an attempt to move forward and calm Sakura down.

Naruto got up but before he had a chance to reply Sasuke punched him in the face.

"You stupid teme!" Naruto said rubbing his sore jaw,"What was that for?"

"I'm an avenger." Sasuke said simply.

 _Oh_ , Naruto realised, _The bastard was taking revenge on him for lying about Sakura's non existent boyfriend. It was worth it though._

On the other hand Kakashi had taken on the role of comforting the sniffling Sakura since he'd assessed that Sai was even more emotionally challenged than he was.

"There, there." He said patting the only female member of the team awkwardly.

"I'm sorry." Sakura sniffles through her tears,"It's just that I'm so emotional -"

Sakura broke off and proceeded to wailing.

The panicked Hokage quickly waved his hand in front of her desperately trying to calm her down,"Its alright, I'm sure there is something we can do to calm you down."

"Well-may-be- no it's not-", Sakura started to say but then again broke into her loud crying.

"No tell me!" A panicked Kakashi said, what were the other three idiots doing watching her cry like this,"I'll do it!"

Sakura shuffled,"Really?" Kakashi nodded.

"Well then to take my mind off things do you think you can show me your face without covering it with anything?"

Both Naruto and Sasuke turned to Sakura in a split second their fighting forgotten.

 _Sakura-chan! BEST WEDDING GIFT EVER._

 _Hmm ugly blackmailing Kakashi with tears is pretty smart._

 _I'm going to marry this woman one day._

"My face?"

The tearful Sakura nodded as all her team members shuffled next to her peering at Kakashi blocking any chance of escape. There was no way he'd be able to get out of this one now, his smart student had made sure to corner him in every possible way.

They'd all grown up was no longer glaring at Sasuke but standing proudly on his own, his wedding robes hinting that he'd be just as comfortable in the Hokage's uniform. Sakura who'd once always trailed behind the team stood in front of them her teary face doing nothing to hide the steely determination and strength in her eyes and Sasuke, the one who'd always stood apart from the group staring angrily at a distance had now unconsciously slid himself in between Sakura and the other two boys his eyes constantly flitting between his Sensei and the girl in front of him.

They'd come so far from the naive genin they had once been and seeing them standing in front of him Kakashi realised that he couldn't be prouder.

So Kakashi took off his mask, _all_ of them, and smiled at his team.


End file.
